


Finding Home

by adriiadventures



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Exploration, Gen, Slice of Life, Worldbuilding, abandoned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-15
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-05 18:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10314185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adriiadventures/pseuds/adriiadventures
Summary: Lewis, Pelican Town’s best and brightest Mayor (or so he proclaims), is in big trouble. If he can’t expand the town’s economy, Pierre will go out of business and Joja Co. will own his town. And his lofty political station, probably. In a last-ditch attempt to keep Pelican Town alive, Mayor Lewis sends a letter to Lisette, his old friend’s granddaughter, hoping that the man’s legendary farming genes reside within her somewhere.Finding Home is a slice of life fanfiction inspired by magicallyclueless' A Farm in the Forest. This explores the farmer’s new life, and past. Most NPCs will make appearances within this story, but which ones will be more important characters is to be revealed.





	1. A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Farm in the Forest](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7470858) by [MagicallyClueless](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicallyClueless/pseuds/MagicallyClueless). 



The entire village gasped at the sight before them: chaos.

Mayor Lewis almost fainted- the annual Luau was a failure. The soup was terrible. Terrible enough that the Governor almost upchucked into the ocean. Terrible enough that Lewis was sure to yell at every single young person in town until he found out who ruined his soup, and his reputation. He had a sinking suspicion it was one of the younger kids, since Vincent and Jas were running towards the water’s edge and giggling maniacally. He couldn’t do much to punish them, since he couldn’t really blame them. Lewis always pitied them for their living situations, despite how wonderful Marnie and Jodi could be.

“...Mayor Lewis, may we talk?” the Governor’s oddly high pitched voice rang out, grabbing everyone’s attention and instantly defusing the fume spouting from Lewis’ ears. The town inched a bit closer- no one could resist the allure of drama that didn’t involve them. Few villagers, fewer secrets.

“Of course, Governor! Why don’t we take a walk?” Lewis eagerly chirped, trying to regain his composure. Addressing the town, he suggests, “Well, well, since it’s so beautiful out, everyone should go for a swim! Enjoy the Luau!” He quickly walked towards the path back to town, hoping the Governor will follow.

“Lewis. That soup was a disgrace. The ingredients were sub-par. Why, I’ve had better soup from Joja Mart. Don’t you agree?” The mayor couldn’t do much other than gulp and agree. No one disagreed with the Governor. “Of course you do, old chap. So you see my dilemma. Why should I, a wealthy man looking out for Pelican Town, let you keep running it into the dirt?”

A slack-jawed Lewis could only mumble out his apologies, his promises to do better, and suck up to the man who was most likely younger than him. It was embarrassing. And maddening. After watching the Governor get onto the bus, he went for a walk to the west. As he passed the trees, noting the growing brush and weeds, the Mayor sighed. “He’s not wrong, is he? The town’s been going downhill since… Oh.” Since the old farmer had passed away. Instantly turning away, Lewis headed back for town, locking himself up in his house. No one really knew why; only Lewis, a pen, and some paper were privy to his situation. He quickly finished his work for the night, slipping outside to mail his letter in the fastest method possible, which was still slow since mail rarely came to or from the valley. By Yoba, did he hope that his only hope for keeping his job would reply with favorous news.

She didn’t. At first, anyways. Upon receiving her response, the mayor eagerly tore opened the letter:  
  
_Dear Mayor Lewis,_

_Thank you for your invitation to the valley. I have often read over Grandfather’s letter, but farming isn’t the life for me. I do hope everything is going well for yourself and the townsfolk._

_Best wishes,_

_Lisette_

Frowning, Lewis picked up his pen and a fresh sheet of paper. He wasn’t ready to give up quite yet, despite her curt reply.

_Lisette,_

_Pelican Town is doing quite wonderfully, and we could certainly use a new resident to add to our booming economy. But, since you aren’t ready to embrace your grandfather’s advice, perhaps you would want to simply visit? It has been several years since we’ve seen you in town; I’m positive the villagers miss your summer presence. Enclosed I have attached 500g for a bus ride to our wonderful town. Consider visiting us._

_Respectfully,_

_Mayor Lewis_

He knew sending money was risky. It could get stolen or lost in the mail, but...hopefully it would guilt her enough into at least visiting. From there, he could convince her to stay.

On the other end of Lewis’ second letter, Lisette was conflicted. She didn’t want to leave home- well, she could use a break- or her life- what life?- or her responsibilities- like her boring job. She stared at the mayor’s letter, then pulled out her grandfather’s letter.

_“If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.”_

He wasn’t wrong. He rarely was. Even as a child, he was her guiding beacon. Taught her how to chop wood, scavenge, fish, knit. Then more practical things, like patience. A side effect of farming, she supposed. A lesson her parents needed to learn. Her short, but so long, summers with Grandfather were the best memories of her life. She missed it. She was sick of her life in the city. Her monotonous routine at work, staring at a computer. Her bitchy ex-girlfriend who didn’t seem to get the message that they had broken up. Her parents’ never ending desire for her to climb up the imaginary socio-economic ladder. Life was simpler during Summer, during her trips to Stardew Valley.

“It wouldn’t be the same. He’s dead.” But, by Yoba, she wasn’t dead. Not yet. “How am I going to explain that I’m leaving my job to be...well, nothing. Something. A farmer?” Lisette groaned, leaning her head into her hands. Despite her anxieties, and the impending confusion and anger from her parents, she let out a little smile as blonde hair covered her vision. A nap, then packing and planning. Then a fresh start.

A few days later, and for the second time in a week, Mayor Lewis almost fainted. This time, it was for a much better reason:

_Dear Mayor Lewis,_

_I would love to move to the valley. Thank you for your generosity- will the house be ready by the first of Spring of the upcoming year? I must make arrangements before I leave, and save up a bit. I’ve attached a bit of gold and a letter with instructions as well, so that you can give it to Robin for some house improvements, if that’s alright._

_Hoping to see you soon,_

_Lisette_

Despite his wishes for her to agree with him, he was shocked. He didn’t expect it to be this easy; nothing in life ever was. But she was coming, and in time for the Luau. The Governor would see his efforts to improve the valley. He was safe. Breathing a deep sigh, he packed a hiking pack and set off for Robin’s.

Half a year later, with gossip floating around the town about the young girl they had forgotten over the years, Lisette stepped off the dilapidated bus to Pelican Town. She was immediately greeted by a smiling red-haired woman, “Hello-o-o! You must be the beautiful Lisette. I haven’t seen you since you were so small, like my kids, goodness. I’m Robin, d’ya remember me?”

Lisette was a little shocked by the woman’s friendliness, “I- yes! Hi, Robin! The last time I visited was more than a decade ago, but I could never forget your wonderful hair, at the very least.”

“You flatter me, hun. Everyone’s so excited since you wrote to Mayor Lewis saying that you wanted to move in- I in particular was so energized by your requests for building! I love working with wood, it’s just so beautiful. You can carve it into anything you want. A fresh start, just like you moving here.”

Lisette took a minute to process- since _she_ wrote to the mayor? It had been the other way around, but she shook it off, deciding it didn’t really matter. “I’m very excited to see the house, too. I’m sure it looks wonderful. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Aw, it was my pleasure. I’ll take you to the house right now- do you need help with those bags?” It wasn’t really a question, since Robin picked them up immediately. “Feel free to take your time and settle in, kid. Mayor Lewis should stop by your place later tonight, don’t worry about making introductions or anything. Don’t be too put off, though, our mayor can be a little odd when he’s busy. He’s been stressed planning for the festivals and your arrival.”

“Oh, I see. Thanks for the warning.”

“It’s a good stress, though!” Robin tacked on, not wanting to place blame on Stardew Valley’s newest villager. “Well, anyways, here we are! Home sweet home.”

Lisette was speechless. She stared at a beautiful wooden cabin, with lots of natural lighting and flower boxes near the windows. A two-story building, unlike her grandfather’s one-story one, shone under the sun. “Oh dios mio.”

A little confused, Robin tilted her head. “I don’t speak Spanish, hun, sorry. Do you like it? I spent a lot of time on it. Well, mostly on chopping. I hope you don’t mind, I cleared out a bit of your farm trees here to build the second story.”

English barely flooded back into her brain, replacing the Spanish racing through her thoughts, so that she could reply to Robin. “Oh- sorry, I’m just in awe. Of course I don’t mind! It looks wonderful Robin, really. Better than I could ever have imagined.”

Robin let out a booming, prideful laugh, “That’s my job. I’m gonna head off now, let you explore your farm and house. Enjoy it, hun! I live up that way, feel free to visit,” she pointed to a trail heading north and west a bit.

“Thank you so much, Robin. It means a lot.” Suddenly, Lisette was embraced by the taller woman in a warm hug. She hadn’t hugged anyone in a while, let alone such a motherly figure.

“Toodles!” As Robin headed off, Lisette, slipping her hair behind her ears, faced the building. Her building. Her house. Her _farm._

Her second chance at a better life.

 


	2. A Wonderful Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisette meets unexpected challenges during her first week of real farming, as well as some villagers.

She had a farm. She bought a _farm_ and a _farmhouse._ She could’ve used her gold to buy a spacious apartment, or adopt a cat or kid or two, or take a vacation. Instead, she’s literally stuck in the dirt for the foreseeable future. Gingerly walking up the steps, she opened the pastel red door. Lisette’s brain was a mile away but her eyes were trained on the first floor of her house, which was nothing like what she remembered from her Summer visits. Robin had done a ton of work. Instead of the tiny cabin she was used to, it was a spacious house meant for 2-3 people. More room than she needed, but it was a welcome change from her cramped city apartment. After setting down her backpack and shoving boxes into the living room, she heard a quick double knock at the door.  
  
“Coming!” she shouted loudly, hoping who she assumed was Mayor Lewis could hear her. It was odd to her, that he hadn’t walked right in. After years in a house where privacy wasn’t a solid concept, open and unlocked doors normally meant free access. _The villagers in Pelican Town probably have more manners than us city folk._ For now, she was content ignoring the villagers and focusing on the construction of her new life.

Step one: meet the Mayor. “Miss Lisette! Welcome to Pelican Town and the valley,” Mayor Lewis said, extending his hand towards her. To her surprise, Lewis, despite his graying handlebar mustache, was much younger than her grandfather. From their old correspondence, she assumed they were about the same age.

“Good afternoon Mayor, thank you for coming. I’m afraid I don’t have much to offer you right, now, but please, feel free to come in and sit.” Lisette nervously bit her lip. She was sorely underprepared for visitors. 

“It’s alright, you’ve just moved in. I’m only here to give you this.” Lewis shuffled forward, handing her a satchel filled to the brim with seeds, fertilizer, and a watering can. “Should be enough to get you started. There’s also a map somewhere in there, the valley is rather large. I’m sure you’ll become familiar with the town and townspeople soon.” 

“I- thank you very much! You really didn’t have to do this for me.” Lisette hadn’t expected this sort of generosity; the seeds alone must have cost a pretty penny.

Smiling, Lewis stepped off her porch steps. “And with that, I’ll be on my way.”

When Mayor Lewis cleared her eyesight, Lisette took a real look around her farm. It was big--and cluttered. She was willing to believe there were more trees than she had seen in the past year. With all the foliage, she would have to clear space to begin farming. Internalizing her worry over the amount of hard work she had ahead of her, she sighed and headed back inside. She was too jaded to hope that the farming season would be easy, but that was why she moved. To change herself, to adopt the qualities of her grandfather and affect the world around her instead of continuing life as a tiny speck. Sighing, she dedicated her day to fixing her house to the way she liked it, then settled in for the first of many long, quiet nights.

On the Mayor’s way home, he was about as nervous as Lisette. If she failed at farming, if she secluded herself, if his work went to waste… If. He could be out of a job, he could finally retire. _Two sides of the same coin, like you always said, Bud._ For an old man easily the age of a grandparent, Lewis was alone. He had the town, and Marnie, but he had no children, no wife. His parents had long been dead, and his siblings waste away in Zuzu City. Shaking ideas of his future, and his ruminations of his past, he headed on the worn trail to town.

Her first day in town, Lisette would never know that she was the hot topic of gossip. Pelican Town was aflutter with both Robin and Mayor Lewis’ accounts of the new farmer. A small, darker skinned girl with oddly blonde hair. A quiet, respectful girl with enough gold to commission the refurbishment of an entire house and buy acres of farmland. The last time a new person came to the valley was when Elliot moved in, but he stayed an almost-stranger for most townspeople, except for Willy, since he lived in his secluded cabin by the beach. Most of the younger folks paid no mind to all the gossip--most of them wanted out of Pelican Town, and couldn’t figure out why someone would move in.  
  
As Emily stood behind the bar, cleaning empty glasses and staring despondently at the mostly empty tables, she couldn’t help but overhear Mayor Lewis talking with Gus. It wasn’t every day that something exciting actually happened; and she had to admit, her interest was piqued, unlike her sister, who couldn’t bother to care about a new person who would dig in the dirt all day.  But for Emily, the prospect of a new farmer in town was exciting. She couldn’t remember the last one, some kind old man who got sick. _Man, I wish I was that brave, though. Moving to the valley, all the way from Zuzu…_  

“She seems nice enough, I suppose.” Lewis sipped his drink slowly, leaning over to Gus. “I have to wonder what brought her here, though. Other than the wonderful appeal I made on behalf of the town, of course! Who wouldn’t want to live in such a peaceful place?” Emily only rolled her eyes at the Mayor’s boisterous bragging. The town was doing alright, if you ignored the slow moving in of Joja Corp. But other than organizing festivals and harassing people for taxes, Lewis, in most of the younger folks’ opinion, hadn’t done much to help the city. “Everyone here has such a wonderful life, thanks to our hard work, huh, Gus?”  
  
Obviously drunk, Lewis kept babbling the rest of the night away about how great of a job he had done as mayor, revitalizing the valley’s economy with a new farmer.

The next morning, Lisette rolled out of bed with a loud thunk and a bruised shoulder. Briefly wondering if Pelican Town has a doctor, she quickly showered, dressed, and gathered her farming tools. Her eyes looked immediately to the sun; to her shock, it was barely above the horizon line. It couldn’t have been later than 8am. Happy with her productivity, since she normally considered waking up before 9am a sin, Lisette was determined to plant the seeds the mayor had given her. She spent a few hours clearing out weeds and fumbling with her hoe and watering can, in between actual planting.

Taking a minute to marvel at her hard work, she felt...strange. Alone, of course, but that was normal. She could have decided it was pride in her manual labor, but it was mixed with a bit of hope. Shrugging off her emotions, Lisette headed to where Lewis had left, assuming that was the way to town. 

She passed the shipping box, marked nicely with pick up times for crops and other items, and came across the same area where the bus had dropped her off. She briefly wondered if the bus regularly traveled to and from the valley to the city, instead pulling out her map and finding the proper path into town. Her eyes widened as she stepped into the town proper--along nicely paved roads there were flower boxes, trees, and beautifully built homes and shops. It was nothing like Zuzu. Instead of cramped, densely populated apartments, which were occasionally aesthetically pleasing, there was space. Space for anything. For cars, cyclists, even a wagon. The quaintness of Pelican Town almost made her smile, before she realized she was in public. _Get it together, Lisette._

Step two: find the supermarket. Lisette knew she wouldn’t last long in her house without some sort of socialization, and most definitely not without groceries. She had even skipped breakfast, having eaten the rest of her traveling foods (mostly junk food) for dinner. Consulting her map again, she managed her way past the clinic and towards Pierre’s.

As a tiny bell rung when she entered the shop, she was pleasantly surprised. The store was absolutely nothing like a Joja Mart--no abundant frozen sections for heat-up TV dinners, no clinically sterile floors, no sad-looking employees.

Instead, a man she easily deduced as Pierre jumped up from his chair behind the counter. Smiling almost forcefully, Pierre greeted her, “Ah, you must be Lisette! I’m Pierre, welcome to Pierre’s General Store.”

With nicely parted brown hair and very reflective glasses, Lisette was briefly reminded of photos of her grandfather in his younger days. Smiling back at him, Lisette approached the counter. “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you too.” Unsure of whether she should try to shake his hand, or just continue shopping, a brief, awkward pause settled between them. 

Coughing, Pierre gestured to the rest of the store. “Feel free to look around, I have many groceries and seeds for sale. They’re at a much,” he emphasized much, even using his hands, “cheaper price than you can find at Joja Mart. Honestly, I wouldn’t even shop there if I were you, such poor quality…”  
  
Lisette noticed the scowl settling onto his face, forming what looked like worn wrinkle lines. Laughing, she turned to explore the store, “I’m sure I’ll love shopping here, thanks.”

Disappearing between the aisles for a bit, Lisette filled her small shopping cart with various cans of vegetables, bunches of fruits, some meat, and noodle boxes. As she finished paying at the counter, she heard a familiar ring towards the front of the shop.  
  
In walked a woman she hadn’t yet met--who was she kidding, she hadn’t met most of the villagers. With a similar surprised as Pierre, the bright blue-haired woman in workout clothes walked towards her.  
  
“Hi! I’m Emily. Nice to meet you!” This time, Lisette shook the hand offered in front of her.  

“I’m Lisette, I just moved into town.” She looked the woman in front of her up and down, guessing that they had to be in a similar age range. She seemed sweet enough, but so had Robin, Lewis, and Pierre. _Maybe the town is just...nice. Nicer than Zuzu._

Laughing, Emily pulled the young farmer in for a hug. After releasing her, she smiled brightly again. “I know! Everyone’s been excited about your move. We don’t get new residents very often.” 

Blinking rapidly, Lisette was confused. But, well, it felt a bit comforting. Like someone cared. A month ago, hell, even a week ago, she would’ve started frustratedly scolding, or even yelling, at the woman in front of her for invading her personal space. Taking three deep breaths like she was taught, she instead said, “I’m sure you don’t. You all seem very, uh, friendly, though.”  
  
Cocking her head in confusion, Emily responded, “Uhuh! Who isn’t friendly, after all?” She turned around, still smiling, and headed towards a door Lisette hadn’t noticed towards the back of the shop. “See ya later, Pierre!” 

Sighing, Pierre handed Lisette a bag filled with her groceries. “Sorry about Emily, she can be a little overexcited.”  
  
“Oh--it’s alright. She meant well.” _I think._

“As do most folks.” Pierre responded curtly, turning back to his book. “Have a nice day, farmer.”

Lisette walked back to her farm without a problem, breathing in unpolluted air for the first time in ten years and wondering what the future has in store for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed the short but sweet character interaction.


End file.
